Last week, amidst the spitting sleet of the first cold day of November, Longwood Gardens debuted its latest love letter to the world: Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience, that includes a sleek, airy building, reminiscent of a grand Victorian greenhouse infused with elements of modernity found nestled in its arched columns and soaring peaks.

Designed by New York-based architecture firms West 8 and Weiss/Manfredi, the West Conservatory has been 15 years in the making. Alongside the painstakingly energy efficient, 2,000-pane glass cathedral, Longwood also unveiled a new Bonsai Garden, its spruced-up Waterlily Court, and breathtaking new digs for 1906, its restaurant.

Crossing the transom from the East Conservatory to the new building felt familiar and refreshing all at once. Families entered the new landscape with strollers in tow, and as I entered, I glanced outside the floor to ceiling windows at the sideways sleet and breathed a sigh of relief.

Shallow troughs of water, like little channels, accompany the walkways in the new 32,000 square-foot conservatory. The stark white metal columns and archway systems play nicely with the Bismark Palms, and the sage colored fronds of these trees fan out gloriously in a grove of eight, cementing themselves as the centerpiece to the new garden.

Cypress trees, bay laurel shrubs and pineapple guava all mingled together in foggy shades of green, broken up only by the light pouring in from the glass panels (even on this incredibly overcast day) and the twinkling pale lights interspersed throughout for the holiday season, filled the air with a summery tuscan scent, and it became easy to forget that winter is on its way. 

The reflecting pools and new outdoor Bonsai Courtyard surround the West Conservatory and provide familiar context to another new addition known as The Grove, complete with a state-of-the-art library.

The 1906 dining room, just below the East Conservatory, boasts a brand-new dining experience with grand arched floor-to-ceiling windows, and vaulted ceilings with beautiful inlaid detail. 

The space is not the only recipient of a stunning new upgrade; the menu has also been reimagined. I saddled up to the bar that featured mirrors covered in vintage patina but with just enough reflective surface to take advantage of the light pouring in from the adjacent main fountain garden.

The cocktail menu is comprehensive, and features concoctions that include herbs grown in house. I tried the Celestial Beet - a creation of mezcal, bonal (an herbal liquor, I learned), beet juice, celery and lime. The combination was playful and very seasonally appropriate in the guise of a beet red cocktail that arrived with a dehydrated candy cane beet chip floating on top. Sadly, I had to keep my wits about me, so the other cocktails would have to wait - but I’m already looking forward to my next visit.

The bar/lounge is your best bet without a reservation, as the dining room is by reservation, and you’ll definitely need one. The unique menu incorporates flora from the on-site ornamental garden. The dishes are separated by Flora, Funga, Fauna/Pasture, Fauna/Ocean. The Beef Carpaccio with burrata, egg yolk, and black lime caught my eye immediately.

Longwood Gardens is entering a new era – a generous blend of the old with the new and done to perfection in a respectful, but unique, manner. From the architecture, to menus, to the new garden itself - visitors are in for an artfully detailed, beautifully curated, experience. 

Longwood Gardens is open to the public from 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily for the much celebrated “A Longwood Christmas,” which will be on view through January 15th. Pre-order tickets online (recommended) at https://longwoodgardens.org.